


Sixth

by cherishedlarry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I Don't Even Know, I don't know what else to tag, I don't know what the fuck just happened, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tattoos, This is like all fluff, What Have I Done, larry stylinson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-20 23:08:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1529162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherishedlarry/pseuds/cherishedlarry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The tattoos start coincidentally but end intentionally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sixth

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt from @radiantlou on Twitter and it just got so out of control omg.

The first time, a quote and quote marks: _coincidence_.

The second time, hi and oops: _weird_.

The third time, a birdcage and birds: _annoying_.   

The fourth time, sparrows: _fucking hell_.

They’re not entirely certain how they did it. They had always been close, sure. Always had this weird connection that they couldn’t quite explain. Call it a “bromance” if you want but it was still a very bizarre dynamic.

The quote and quote marks were easily dismissed. Truthfully, anybody could get those tattoos without a connection. Yeah. No big deal. Both Louis and Harry had been able to laugh that one off.

Hi and oops. Two words that really didn’t have a meaning together. But, apparently, the fans thought they did. They didn’t expect people to connect them. Didn’t expect the myriad of comments and creations. They made up stories. Stories about how those were the first words the two boys had ever said to each other all those years ago in the X Factor bathroom. And _come on_ how would anybody even _know_ that? Louis and Harry weren’t even entirely sure what their first words were. But, apparently, the fans thought they were hi and oops. So they let them have that.

Harry had loved the birdcage design the minute he saw it. The meaning behind it had instantly pulled him in. He first saw it with a closed door. But he didn’t like that. Didn’t want a permanent reminder of how trapped he had been feeling lately. An open door, he decided. With nothing inside.

And that’s what he got.

But then Louis got birds. And people started asking questions. Questions that neither Louis nor Harry had answers to.

Harry’s pretty sure Louis got the sparrow on his arm just to piss him off. He was sure of it. The rumors had been running wild recently and Louis never was one to shy away from the public. _Give them something to talk about,_ he always said. And while Harry was annoyed, Louis was basking in it.

Because both boys knew the truth. There was nothing going on between them. _Absolutely nothing_. So why not let people talk about it?

\---

Both boys were planning on getting tattoos that December day. But neither of them was about to say what they were getting. They never liked to say beforehand. Liked watching each other react to the new ink. Liked the authenticity of it all.

Louis dragged Zayn along with him, telling him he should get some new ink as well while they were there.

Louis quite liked the pain of getting a tattoo. It distracted him from everything. It allowed him to not think for once in his life; the only thing he could focus on being the needle against his skin. The familiar buzz of the gun was music to his ears and the artwork slowly coming together before him caused a smile to slowly spread.

He had decided to go with a compass. More importantly, a compass pointing to home. So, whenever he looked down at it, he could remember that, yes, life was crazy at the moment and he barely had time to breathe anymore. But, no matter what, he would always find his way back.

Sure, the meaning behind it may have sounded lame, but, to Louis, it was perfect. And he adored it.

He practically skipped back into the hotel room once he returned, the burn underneath the gauze not bothering him too much. He was too excited. Too excited about how _well_ it had come out and too excited about showing it to Harry.

Harry was laying in one of the beds once he stepped through the door, mindlessly scrolling through his Twitter feed. His laptop was propped up on his stomach, one arm behind his head. And, even from the doorway, Louis could see his matching gauze.

This was one of Louis’ favorite parts about getting a new tattoo; showing it off. Especially to Harry. Because Harry knew what good tattoos looked like, knew what bad ones looked like. He had so many at this point, Louis felt pretty inadequate and like he would never get up to Harry’s level. But, in Louis’ defense, some of Harry’s were pretty lame so Louis still liked to think he was a step ahead of the curly-haired boy.

Harry snapped his head to look at Louis once the boy shut the hotel room door behind him. His body was buzzing and he felt like he was about ready to burst right out of his skin. Harry smiled at him, promptly shutting his computer.

“Did you get it?” Harry questioned, sitting upright on the edge of the bed. Louis nodded emphatically, shuffling over to Harry.

“Of course. Same time?” Louis asked, positioning his fingers over the gauze. And _yeah ok_ both boys knew you weren’t supposed to take it off right away (risk of infection and all that shit) but waiting simply wasn’t an option.

Harry nodded in response, peeling one of the corners off to give him easier access. “One, two, three,” Harry counted down.

Their tattoos were soon exposed. And both boys couldn’t believe their eyes.

“We… no… there’s no way…” Louis stammered, his eyes not able to tear themselves away from Harry’s fresh ink.

“We didn’t… we couldn’t have done this shit again,” Harry replied, expression literally mirroring Louis.

“Fuck, Harry,” Louis said, voice nothing but a mere whisper.

They were dead. So, so dead. Because how were they going to explain this away? Louis stared at Harry’s tattoo some more, hoping that he wasn’t seeing what he thought he was seeing.

Because Harry got a ship. _A fucking ship_. Great. Just great.

“The fans are gonna have a field day with this one, aren’t they?” Harry chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Oh, I’m sure they are.” Louis cracked a bittersweet smile, sitting down on the bed opposite Harry. “How the hell do we keep doing this?” he asks as he replaces the gauze, attempting to shut out the reality of what had just happened.

Harry shrugs, a light laugh falling from his lips. “No idea. But one of us needs to stop.”

“That should be you,” Louis states as he points an accusing finger at Harry, “because you already have too many tattoos. I’m just getting started.”

“Oh please,” Harry counters. “I had the nautical idea first. So this one is all on you.”

“You’re so full of it. I’ve been talking about getting the compass for weeks.”

“Well, _I_ didn’t hear you talking about it. Our tattoos are meant to be _secret_ , remember?” Harry chides, eyebrows lifting playfully.

“Looks like we may need to start telling each other because this,” he gestures between Harry and himself, “is starting to become a tad suspicious.”

\---

Louis was in denial. He was wide awake and was slowly being consumed by the feeling. He and Harry were just too… connected. Sure, they spent a lot of time together and they knew each other fairly well but this was just _ridiculous_.

It was that cold December night, lying awake in his respective bed, listening to Harry’s quiet snores come from the bed next to him, that Louis realized that something was happening.

Things had started changing recently. He found himself looking at Harry for longer intervals. He found himself missing, like _really_ missing, the boy whenever they were apart. He found himself craving his touch, wanting to be near him all the time. He found himself falling deeper and deeper into Harry and, to put it bluntly, he was scared shitless.

Because _no_. Harry was his best friend. Had been for a while now. So why did things have to start changing? Why did Louis have to start developing _feelings_? He wasn’t even sure what these feelings were. What they were _supposed_ to be.

He thought back to the day previous, when Harry said he was going to the tattoo parlor to get the new patch of ink with Taylor. Something had happened inside Louis. Something strange. And, if Louis didn’t know better, he would have called it jealousy.

But why was he jealous? What did he have to be jealous about?

Nothing. _Fucking nothing_. Because Harry was his _best friend_.

Louis was satisfied with where he was. _He was_.

But Louis’ heart was whispering, “I want more.”

\---

Christmas came and went in a massive blur. Louis went home, attempted to clear his head and refocus. But, if anything, his trip home only made it worse. Because he was with Eleanor.

Eleanor. Lovely, lovely Eleanor. Louis loved her. He really did. Eleanor was safety. Eleanor was comfort. But Louis wasn’t content. Wasn’t happy. Couldn’t remember the last time he felt truly at peace.

Actually, that was a lie. He could, in fact, remember the last time he felt serene.

And that was when he was with Harry. Beautiful, beautiful Harry whom Louis really needed to stop thinking about.

\---

Louis watched the video of the “Haylor” kiss. Even though he knew he shouldn’t. He knew that it could, potentially, stir up the feelings Louis had been trying so desperately to suppress the past few weeks. Although, if he was being completely honest, it was more like the past few years.

Because Louis had felt a pull towards Harry since the day they met in the bathroom. He never knew what it was. Didn’t quite know how to describe it.

But then, as he watched the distaste and disconnection in Harry’s eyes and embrace in New York, he felt something twist.

Because Louis knew that look. Knew it all too well. Harry’s mind was elsewhere. He wasn’t present. Not at all. And Louis really shouldn’t have felt as happy as he did.

Louis could only hope he was flashing through Harry’s mind. The way Harry had been running nonstop through his.

\---

It wasn’t until the beginning of March that things came crashing down in a heap. Louis wished he had handled things differently but, at the same time, he was extremely grateful for the breakdown.

Louis was beside himself, so many feelings rushing through him that night. He had managed to curl himself into a tiny ball in the middle of his bed, duvet pulled tightly around his shaking body. Harry had gone out for the night so he wasn’t exactly concerned or self-conscious about how pathetic he looked at that moment.

What he wasn’t expecting, however, was for Harry to return so soon. Harry always checked on him whenever he came home. That was just what he did. He was nothing short of shocked when he opened Louis’ door to find a sobbing mess.

Harry rushed in then, worry flooding through him. What happened? Was Louis ok? Did Harry do something? Why was he crying? So many questions, so many concerns. But all Harry could do was climb into bed beside him and pull him close. He unwrapped Louis from his little cocoon and held his trembling body against his own, quiet “shh’s” falling from his lips.

He waited until Louis was breathing again. He knew from past experiences that he couldn’t push Louis into talking. He simply had to wait. Sometimes it was minutes, sometimes days, sometimes even weeks. But Louis always told him.

Which was why Harry was so apprehensive. Something had been off about Louis recently. He had noticed a different air between them the day he returned from his New York trip. He had tried brushing it off, tried telling himself it was probably none of his concern. But Harry was worried all the same.

“Something’s wrong with me. Something… something’s happening,” he heard Louis whisper into his chest. His voice was weak and shaky. Harry wondered just how long he had been crying.

“What d’you mean babe?” Harry asked gently, hand rubbing soothing circles into Louis’ back. And, wait, did Louis just flinch against him? No. He must have imagined it.

“I just… I don’t even know,” Louis responded, pulling away from Harry then. Harry tried not to take personal offence to that but, to be honest, that hurt. A lot.

“Lou, c’mon, you know you can tell me anything,” Harry tried to reason with the distraught boy.

Louis shot up from the bed then, towering over a confused Harry. “No, Harry, I can’t! Because you’re involved in this and I just… I just can’t tell you, ok? Just… please, drop it,” Louis’ voice slipped from angry to pleading in one breath. And Harry didn’t know what to say.

“Louis, what are you talking about? Please, just tell me. I need to know what’s bothering you. You can’t just expect me to let this go.”

Louis looked at him then, really looked at him, and knew he couldn’t keep it in anymore.

“I… I think I’m in love with you.”

Louis didn’t know what he was expecting to happen. Maybe for Harry to laugh in his face. Maybe for Harry to get angry and leave. Maybe for Harry to never speak to him again.

Louis certainly wasn’t expecting what actually happened.

Harry kissed him.

And Louis was content.

\---

The sixth time, a butterfly and it is what it is: _intentional_.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts can be submitted in the comments below or on my Tumblr (realizedyouweremissing).
> 
> And be sure to follow me on Twitter (@cherishedlarry) to keep up with all my daily shenanigans.


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